Major Food Group Plans Retro Grill Room and Modern Pool Room (Plus Seafood Trolleys)

Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi have called dibs on the dining rooms inside the historic Four Seasons space. Carbone, ever the nostalgist, will recreate long-gone dishes for his menu in the Grill Room, while Torrisi, always the forward-thinker, will introduce a menu that has all-new dishes. Torrisi tells the Times: "Nothing will reference what has happened in the past....I want this to be the No. 1 room in New York and in America where you go to celebrate." Neither room will serve tasting menus.

The chefs and their partner Jeff Zalaznick can't change much about the space because it's landmarked, but they will be adding all sorts of flourishes to the experience, including seafood trolleys, spiffed-up interiors, and new chairs. The boys are also trying to recreate some mysterious dishes that were listed on old menus like "fancy cake" and "coriander prosciutto."  Soon, the Major Food Group guys will travel to Switzerland to check out the homeland of Albert Stockli, the original Four Seasons chef. Zalaznick explains: "We're going to Switzerland just to feel that."

The downstairs space that previously housed Brasserie will become a more casual restaurant designed by Peter Marino, although no word yet on what type of food it will serve.

Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder are closing the Four Seasons in July, with plans to reopen in the neighborhood. If everything goes according to plan, the Seagram Building's new as-yet-unnamed restaurants will open by the end of the year.